


Bracelets for Kids

by nagasvoice



Category: The Losers
Genre: Gen, Team Sheep Overlords
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-08
Updated: 2013-10-08
Packaged: 2017-12-28 19:42:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/995782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagasvoice/pseuds/nagasvoice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Complement for the Sheep Overlord group for this Bang.  The intent is to donate them to a shelter for kids off the street, to give them  something completely cheerful and happy and theirs.<br/>More information from the Ravelry knitting group, here:<br/><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/compassionknit"> Ravelry Group</a><br/>CompassionKnit is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing handmade warmth & love to our lost, but not forgotten, teens in the Bay area.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bracelets for Kids

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Knitted Items for Losers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/957947) by [james](https://archiveofourown.org/users/james/pseuds/james). 



> ETA: The package was received safely by the person organizing things for the Ravelry donation group, yay! Apparently she got 3 different boxes from people this weekend, so lots of pix to be taken there!
> 
> Many images are currently hosted on Flickr, which I understand creates issues with getting the image out of the gallery mode. I've put up those links, and added direct embed on three pictures with ImageShack. Click on the Flickr "slideshow" link to see all the images.  
> As I received a request for more information or an outright tutorial, I've gone informal 'tute and explained the process a bit here. I'd be happy to explain more if anybody has questions.

Oct 7 2013 deadline, Ante-Up Losers Big Bang challenge, Sheep Overlords complement.  
Since knitting was making my hands hurt, and kumihimo braiding did not, I decided I should try making some bracelets for the complement.  
Sample of the wad, here:  
[](http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/94/c0z3.jpg/)  
Uploaded with [ImageShack.us](http://imageshack.us) <http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/10147496105_519d085b36_o.jpg>

More pictures visible here on the Ravelry project post, where the charity group folks also are.  
<http://ravel.me/nagasvoice/bfk>

Here's the entire set of images, if you're interest in seeing more. You have to click to work this slideshow--click on arrows at either side to go forward or back.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/girdethsvoice/10147397334/>

How-to details:

Kumihimo is a style of braiding that might seem familiar to kids who hooked string into cord through the hole in a big wooden spool.  
The foam plate is a cheap new way to hold the cords in place (push into the slots) while you work, old school used a wooden ring with wooden spools.  
This is what the primary braiding tool looks like. It has simple directions on how to move the cords around as you braid.

[](http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/819/vrv2.jpg/)  
Uploaded with [ImageShack.us](http://imageshack.us)

<http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7398/10147626963_bfd5216062_o.jpg>

Braids can be made of lots of different cords or yarns; some of the fiber for this was cotton, some wool, some jewelry-style hemp cords, and some synthetic. You can use heavier materials such as silk, leather cords, acrylic rat tail macrame cord, or synthetic yarns. For this pattern, assume you need three times as long as your finished length. For one foot of braid, you start off with 3 feet of yarn. I used 3 yard lengths (or 9 feet) per cord to make 3' braid lengths. I did them in the basic 8-ply round braid diagrammed on the back of the octagonal plate. I mostly used 24 cords per braid, as a good way to rotate through the colors in a spiral pattern.

There are also a lot of other weaving patterns out there which I have not yet tried out, some of which make flat braids.

Clamshell bobbins are useful too. You don't have to buy these, you could make your own from foamboard or softer cardboard. You take bits of cardboard, put a short cut in them to hold an end in place, and coil your strings around that. Having done that, I find flexible clamshell-shaped bobbins much easier. These are clearly the same as the rubbery spools used to organize cords near electrical equipment such as computers, only translucent. 

I cut up these 3 foot lengths of cord into a variety of sizes around 5 to 8 inches long ( a standard bracelet is 7") and instantly tied them off as I cut them. To tie each cut end off, I used extra cord in the same colors, threaded onto a big carpet needle to punch it through the weave of the cord.  
I secured the cut ends and knots with super glues such as Fray-check and Jewel-It and Fabric Fusion.

I attached the metal necklace-style end caps over those lumps by threading 22-gauge jewelry wire through a clasp or a jumpring to make a loop of it, putting both wire ends down into a cord end-piece, a beadcap or a doughnut-shaped bead. Then I punched the wire ends through the braid below the glued zone, and started wrapping upward, back toward the end caps. The goal was to keep the windings smooth and any cut wire ends tucked out of poking range. I used clasps in a variety of styles and sizes and colors, with the aim of extending the range of available styles and lengths of bracelets.  
Closeup of a bracelet through the bag.

[](http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/706/8dvo.jpg/)  
Uploaded with [ImageShack.us](http://imageshack.us)

<http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3805/10147627823_df45a89992_o.jpg>  



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